Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Thursday said the investigation into various cases related to the revelations of sexual harassment and harassment in the Malayalam film industry in the Justice Hema Committee report is progressing well.
Justice A. Of. Jaishankaran Nambiar and Justice C.S. Sudha’s special bench made the remarks after the state government filed a report indicating progress in the investigation into the 26 FIRs registered in connection with the revelations made in the report.
The High Court also appointed an amicus curiae to collect and coordinate various reports, suggestions and draft legislation related to the issue of sexual harassment in the film industry. The bench was hearing several petitions related to the committee report.
The Advocate General (AG), appearing for the state and the police, told the court that out of the 26 FIRs registered in connection with the revelations in the report, in five the complainants were refusing to cooperate in the investigation and in three the complainants said that their statements were true. Not there.
After allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation against several actors and directors surfaced after the reports became public, the state government on August 25 had formed a seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate them.
Later, on the instructions of the High Court, the complete unedited copy of the report was handed over to the SIT. The Advocate General also told the court that the state was preparing a draft law to deal with issues of sexual harassment in the film industry and the bench said it would take this into consideration as well.
Meanwhile, Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), a party in the case, told the court that it will file a fresh petition. Taking cognizance of this, the court said that all suggestions are welcome.
The bench also made it clear that the court will not draft the law and will only make suggestions.
With these observations the bench listed the matter for further hearing on November 21. The Justice Hema Committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case and its report revealed cases of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.